Understanding Files and Folders:

Think of saving and managing files and folders on your computer the same way it is done with paper except you are using electronic folders.

A File is a document you create and save.

A Folder is a place to store files.

Keeping track of the number of files you create over the years can become overwhelming. It is easy to misplace files, not remembering where you saved them. File management becomes more important than ever. Computer files should be filed and organized in a similar fashion to the organization of a file cabinet. The best way is to keep all of your data files in the "Documents Folder." Your documents folder then should be divided into you many the categories you need by creating folder inside of it. (for example; you might have folders for classwork, homework, school business, personal, webpage, worksheets, tests, etc. Within each of those folders you may have other folders for subcategories like chapters, etc.) Set up your folder filing system in an organized, logical system.

Once you have your Documents folder organized with sub folders. Start dragging all of your files into appropriate folders, making adjustments as needed. Every time you create a new document, make sure to save it in its appropriate location. Next time you need to find it, you will know exactly where to find it.

All files are saved either on the computer's hard drive (located in the top/right corner or on the desktop. Once a file has been saved, you can move it to any other folder on you computer by dragging it with your mouse to the folder of choice. You can put folders inside folders in a hierarchy for organization purposes. to make a new folder - go to File and choose "new folder." Type in the name you wish to to call the new folder, then you are ready to either save files or drag files into your new folder.

Backing Up:

By keeping all of your document/files saved in your "Documents Folder," it allows you to easily back up your documents on a regular basis since they are all in one location. (something you should do to avoid loss of your important data). You can back up your documents folder by burning it to a CD or copying it onto a flash drive or external hard drive. - Highly Recommended!

Footers:

Another good organization tip is to place a footer at the bottom of every new document you create with the name of the file,and the revision date. Then when you need to make revisions and new print outs of a worksheet/handout, you will know what name you saved it as and know the last version of revision.

Footer example:

Christensen - worksheet 1b - rev. 04/10/00

The first step to organized file management is saving properly. It's easy to save but you need to know where you are saving a file, so that you can find it later when you need it.

Choosing "Save As" from the file menu will get you to the save dialog box you see below. Then follow the steps below:

You can also use "Save As" to rename a file or to save it in another folder.

Web Page by Steve Christensen - Rev. 11/08